School Of Seven Bells

Disconnect From Desire

B+

Usually when a group tries to blend two genres together equally, the alchemy ends up being wrong. School Of Seven Bells however get it mostly right on Disconnect From Desire, crafting an album that blends slow burning ‘80s synth pop with strong harmonies into songs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Kate Bush record.

Alejandra and Claudia Deheza sing gorgeous, shimmering harmonies over the keyboard noise and synth beats produced by ex-Secret Machines member Benjamin Curtis. From beginning to end, the album is enjoyable and consistent with only a few tracks in the middle that drag on. “Heart Is Strange” has a driving beat and haunting harmony that make it perfect for a montage in an older horror or karate film. The sequencing is near perfect and the songs that overstay their welcome don’t hinder the overall cohesion.

Disconnect From Desire is both new and familiar, offering endless warm sounds while retaining distant harmonies. It’s a modern album that you can’t help but feel nostalgia with from the first listen. More focused and consistent, those put off by 2008’s Alpinisms may want to give this a shot.